Salt and pepper sea bream or sea bass


INDIA WHILEY-MORTON

Preparation time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 8-10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 sea bream or sea bass fillets
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 fat garlic clove, sliced into thin matchsticks
• 2.5cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and sliced into thin matchsticks
• 2 pak choi, halved lengthways
• 1 small red chilli, finely chopped
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• Juice of half a lime
• Cooked jasmine rice, to serve

For the seasoning blend

• 1 tsp sea salt flakes
• 1 tsp soft light brown sugar
• ½ tsp Chinese five-spice
• ¼ tsp crushed chilli flakes
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground white pepper

Method

1. Combine the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl, breaking up any large chunks of sugar.
2. Pat dry the fish fillets, then place them on a plate and season generously on both sides with the seasoning mixture, rubbing it into the flesh. Allow to absorb for 5 minutes.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 1 minute before pushing to one side of the pan. Place the pak choi in the pan with the fish fillets, skin-side down, and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the flesh is almost cooked through. Carefully turn over the fish and pak choi and cook for a further minute before removing from the pan and setting aside on a plate.
4. Add the chopped chilli and spring onion to the pan, along with the soy sauce and lime juice. Use a spatula to stir it vigorously around the pan to release any flavour.
5. Serve the fish and pak choi on a bed of rice, then pour over the juices and aromatics from the pan.

Crab and avocado eggs benedict


INDIA WHILEY-MORTON

I used to think hollandaise sauce was too difficult to make at home, but this recipe works every time. Storing the sauce in a Thermos flask once it is ready takes the pressure off, so there’s no need to rush the other elements of your dish.

Preparation time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 150g fresh white crabmeat
• Salt and pepper
• Zest and juice of half a lemon
• 4 crumpets (or 2 English muffins, halved)
• 1 avocado, stoned, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 tbsp mixed seeds, for sprinkling

For the hollandaise sauce

• 2 large egg yolks
• 100g unsalted butter, cubed
• Juice of half a lemon, plus extra to taste
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• Salt

Method

1. Begin by making the hollandaise sauce. Place the egg yolks in a medium-sized glass bowl and half-fill a small saucepan with boiling water. Make sure that the bowl containing the yolks will fit snugly on top of the saucepan without the bowl touching the water, as this will cause the yolks to overheat, but don’t place it over the saucepan yet.
2. Melt the cubed butter in a separate small saucepan, then reduce the heat to its lowest setting to keep it warm.
3. Add the lemon juice and mustard to the egg yolks and season with a pinch of salt. Use a balloon whisk to mix it all together, then place the bowl over the saucepan of water. Set the pan over a low heat and whisk vigorously for 1 minute so the yolks begin to cook and thicken slightly.
4. Drizzle the warm melted butter into the egg yolks 1 tbsp at a time, whisking well between each addition, until it has all been incorporated. You should be left with a thick, silky-smooth sauce.
5. Add 1 tsp water to loosen the sauce and season to taste with extra salt and lemon juice. If not using right away, pour the sauce into a small Thermos flask. This will keep it at the correct temperature for pouring for up to 2 hours without it becoming too thick.
6. To prepare the eggs, bring a medium saucepan of water to a simmer. Crack an egg into a ramekin and slip it into the simmering water; repeat with a second egg. Simmer very gently for 2-3 minutes until the whites are firm, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with kitchen roll. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
7. Place the crabmeat in a small bowl. Season, then stir in the zest and juice.
8. Toast the crumpets or muffin halves. Place two on each plate, then top each with some avocado slices, a heap of dressed crab, a poached egg and finally a drizzle of the hollandaise. Season with freshly ground black pepper and sprinkle with mixed seeds just before serving.

Extracted from Pull up a Chair by Martha Collison (Kyle Books, £26).

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